Angry Grandma remains planted on the porch beside Mikey as he opens his sketchbook and sends photographs of the anime drawings to Lucy. The afternoon air smells of hot pavement and cigarette smoke.
Angry Grandma
There. Now she can judge the pictures instead of guessing what you do all day. Keep the pages steady and send the clearest shots.
A reply arrives while Gran is still looking over the drawings. Lucy’s name lights the phone screen, giving Mikey her opinion without classmates crowding around or turning it into hallway gossip.
Lucy
These are actually really good, Mikey. The character poses look difficult, and the expressions are much better than I expected. You should keep practicing.
Angry Grandma squints at the message, then taps ash into a coffee tin. Her attention shifts from the artwork to Friday’s conference and the concerns waiting there.
Angry Grandma
Now, about home life. You do not have to solve every concern alone before Friday. You can ask for privacy, a clear record, and a chance to speak without everybody interrupting.
Angry Grandma
Think on what support you want requested. A trusted adult present, written boundaries, fewer surprises, whatever helps you explain yourself. The conference is for answers, not guessing.
“Will angry Grandma accept my honest explanation that I prefer being paddled to losing my lunch hour?”
NO (Likely, rolled 81)
Mikey’s honest explanation reaches Angry Grandma, but her cigarette pauses halfway to the coffee tin. The porch falls quiet except for traffic beyond the fence.
Angry Grandma
No, young man. I am not accepting that trade. Your lunch hour is not something you throw away just to make a punishment feel simpler.
She sets the cigarette down and studies him over the top of her glasses. Her anger is aimed less at the preference than at the way he treats himself as disposable.
Angry Grandma
And do not tell yourself that being paddled is the honest or useful answer. Friday is for explaining what happened and asking for boundaries, not volunteering for pain.
Angry Grandma
If the school wants your lunch hour, they need a real reason and a clear plan. If they want discipline, they can hear the facts without you begging for it.
Her refusal is firm, not dismissive. She accepts that Mikey said what he prefers, but she will not endorse surrendering his break or treating punishment as easier than support.
Angry Grandma
You can be honest and still be wrong about what ought to happen next. Keep the drawings ready, and let Friday deal with the facts.
“Will angry Grandma accept my honest explanation that I prefer my Mom to spank me rather than grounding me from social media and anime?”
YES, BUT (VeryLikely, rolled 69)
Mikey
I understand the grounding would take away social media and anime. I would honestly rather Mom spank me than lose those things.
Angry Grandma absorbs the explanation without interrupting. She believes Mikey is describing a real preference, not trying to provoke her, but her mouth tightens at the choice he has made.
Angry Grandma
I believe you, young man. That is honest. But I am not calling that a sensible trade, and I sure as hell am not approving it.
Angry Grandma
Here is the cost of making that preference plain: until Friday, your phone stays put except for school, family, and those drawing pictures you already sent.
She takes the phone from beside the sketchbook and places it face down on the porch rail. The restriction is concrete, immediate, and separate from any promise of corporal punishment.
Angry Grandma
You wanted me to hear the truth, and I did. Now you sit with the consequences of saying it, without turning pain into something you have to earn.
Angry Grandma
Your drawings stay with you. Social media waits. Friday, we discuss boundaries and facts, not which punishment you think you deserve.
“I persuade Angry Grandma not to mention to my Mom that I've discussed my home life with her.”
FAILURE (Terrible Conversation, rolled -1)
Mikey
Please do not tell Mom that I talked with you about home. I only said it because I needed someone to listen.
Angry Grandma studies Mikey over her glasses. The phone remains face down on the porch rail, while his request settles between them with the cigarette smoke.
Angry Grandma
I hear you, young man, but I am not promising to hide a serious concern from your mother. That would be foolish and dishonest.
Angry Grandma
I will not gossip about your home life, repeat it to neighbors, or use it to embarrass you. But if I believe you are unsafe, I will speak up.
Her answer closes the private bargain Mikey hoped to make. She picks up the phone, checks that it remains locked, and places it back beside the sketchbook without returning its broader access.
Angry Grandma
For now, I will tell your mother only that we talked and that you want privacy at Friday’s conference. I will not hand her every word.
Angry Grandma
You cannot make me keep a dangerous secret, but you can expect me to keep your confidence with care. That is the deal.
Quest Complete
Ask Angry Grandma for help with home life concerns
Skill Upgrade: Conversation Poor→Mediocre